The new CARF standards for residential and inpatient treatment of eating disorders apply to programs that serve patients 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, under the supervision of a licensed healthcare professional who has access to a licensed physician. Patients served in these facilities have been diagnosed with eating disorders according to the current DSM and ICD-9, including Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified.

Service providers may begin applying the new standards in their organization immediately. CARF surveys leading to accreditation for an eating disorder treatment program may be conducted as soon as a provider is able to demonstrate six months of conformance to the standards.

The Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) Task Force on Clinical Practice Recommendations for Residential and Inpatient Eating Disorder Programs guided the creation of the new CARF standards. The AED Task Force is a collaboration of the Academy for Eating Disorders, the National Eating Disorders Association, and the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals.

The task force gathered input from patients, family members, service providers, government officials, and insurers. The task force was also guided by empirical data and consensus from the American Psychiatric Association Practice Guidelines for Eating Disorders, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Guidelines for Eating Disorders, Australian and New Zealand Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa, and American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on Identifying and Treating Eating Disorders.